81R5803 YDB-D
By: Naishtat H.B. No. 1067
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a memorandum of understanding between certain
authorized entities to share suicide data that does not identify
any individual.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to encourage the
prompt reporting of suicide data that does not identify a deceased
individual or any other individual and to encourage use of the data
for instructive and preventive purposes.
SECTION 2. Chapter 193, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 193.011 to read as follows:
Sec. 193.011. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SUICIDE DATA.
(a) In this section, "authorized entity" means a medical examiner,
a local registrar, a local health authority, a local mental health
authority, a community mental health center, a mental health center
that acts as a collection agent for the suicide data reported by
community mental health centers, or any other political subdivision
of this state.
(b) An authorized entity may enter into a memorandum of
understanding with another authorized entity to share statistical
suicide data that does not identify the deceased individual or any
other individual. The shared data must include:
(1) the deceased individual's age, race or national
origin, gender, and zip code of residence;
(2) any school or college the deceased individual was
attending at the time of death; and
(3) the suicide method used by the deceased
individual.
(c) The suicide data an authorized entity receives or
provides under Subsection (b) is not confidential.
(d) An authorized entity that receives suicide data under a
memorandum of understanding authorized by this section may:
(1) release to the public any data that does not
identify a deceased individual or any other individual;
(2) publish the data; or
(3) post the data on an Internet website.
(e) An authorized entity or an employee or agent of an
authorized entity is not civilly or criminally liable for
receiving, providing, or making public suicide data that does not
identify a deceased individual or any other individual and that may
be shared under a memorandum of understanding authorized by this
section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.